Honorable Laurentine Koa Requesting For Quality Than Quantity Law Makers.
The network of female Parliamentarians in Cameroon, after noticing the low representation of the women in the country political scene, have brainstormed on ways to deal away with the inequality in national representation. During a workshop of capacity building for the network of female parliamentarians in Cameroon on issues regarding gender, human rights and political participation of women on the 8th July 2021 at the Yaounde Conference Center, the law makers, were schooled on means to remove barriers to their involvement during their mandate.
Honorable Laurentine Koa Mfegue the president of the network of female parliamentarians in Cameroon pointed out that, it is needless having many women in parliament without any competence. To her, building their capacity will give them enough strength to face the challenges that await them.
It has been revealed that, since the last elections, only 36 out of 360 mayors are women, making 10.8%, for the communal executives, at the National Assembly out of 180 parliamentarians, only 61 are women making 33.89% while in the senate only 26 senators are women out of the 100 representatives.
On the brainstorming day, the women had to analyse and present gender issues, highlight the essence of human rights, make known the legal framework for the protection and promotion of women’s rights and gender equality, analyse and present the challenges of women’s political participation and begin advocating for the inclusion of vulnerable groups of women in the fight against COVID-19.
At the end of the workshop, the female parliamentarians are cognizance of the consistency of gender related aspects, fully and confidently understand human rights in their formal and substantive forms and have a substantial understanding of issues relating to women’s political participation.
By Takang Bisong
Cameroon : Female Parliamentarians Brainstorm On Improving Representation
